


Frosted Secrets

by chiharutanaka



Category: Tales of Berseria
Genre: F/M, One-Sided Relationship, Spoilers, in-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 05:52:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14710328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chiharutanaka/pseuds/chiharutanaka
Summary: [Spoilers for end-game]. Eizen wonders about a certain Lord of Calamity on a snowy evening in Meirchio, while holding onto Edna's letter.





	Frosted Secrets

Eizen was glad that Meirchio had an unforgiving, bitterly cold weather. He was also glad that the frigid temperature left his face numb, so nobody had noticed the surge of emotions that whirled inside him like a tornado. He sat on top of a brick wall at the edge of the small town, overlooking the frozen lake as the sun slowly began to set.

As the sunlight faded, painting the sky with hues of oranges and purples; he reread the letter in his hands for what may be the hundredth time since the White Turtlez delivered it to him half an hour ago.

_Dear Eizen,_

_I want you to come home. But after I read all of your letters again - especially your most recent one, I think I can wait a little longer. I’m sorry for the loss of your friend Aifread. You mentioned him in such high regard, and I can’t imagine how you’re feeling._

_I understand that you want to free the malakhim of the Abbey’s control. I understand why you continue to travel with the daemon Velvet to achieve this. And although I think your idea of a Reaper’s Curse is stupid, I think I can understand why you left home. Even if I don’t agree._

_I’ll put a hold on my selfish request for your return - temporarily. Please promise me you’ll return someday. For now, you ironic lot - humans, daemons and malakhim - go and save the malakhim with your “Lord of Calamity”. It’s strange how she’s appropriate for you. She may be the only person willing to put up with your stupid curse, besides me._

_Your sister, Edna._

_P.S. I’d like to meet Velvet someday. It’s so obvious that you have feelings for her, and I’m curious._

Eizen folded the letter and placed it in his jacket pocket. He was reading it for the first time when Velvet and Laphicet approached him. To say that his feelings were all over the place would be the understatement of the century. His beloved Edna had finally replied after decades of silence - only to hit him right in the gut with her accurate deduction his feelings for Velvet, crammed into a simple sentence.

Edna was more intelligent that he gave her credit for.

Benwick provided a convincing distraction when he jumped into the conversation, claiming Eizen’s extreme overprotectiveness over Edna. “Touch my sister and die,” he had said. He wasn’t wrong, but at least, while Eizen glared and threatened Laphicet (to no avail; the young malak wasn’t even fazed), it kept his thoughts away from Edna’s postscript.

Velvet had only chuckled, before walking off with Laphicet to sit by the lake with each other. He could see them from where he sat, and Velvet had a smile on her face while they both huddled in the winter jackets they purchased in Hellawes. She looked less like the Lord of Calamity, and more like Velvet Crowe - a caring older sister.

Edna was right, but was he really that obvious while writing to her?

He first mentioned Velvet in his letters when he encountered her and their rag-tag crew near Vortigern. Her face was the first thing he noticed when he disembarked from the ship and blocked her attack. She was beautiful - that was obvious - but behind her golden eyes was a flame more brilliant than any he’d ever seen. She was determined to realise her goal, no matter the cost.

And she proved it too, as he continued to follow her. Sure, finding Aifread was **his** top priority, but even in the face of blinding rage when he first met Zaveid, she had successfully pummelled him to the ground with her cursed arm. No woman, let alone a man (except Aifread), had ever been able to knock him down.

She was tainted, and cursed, just like he was. But she was a daemon, and he was a malak.

Eizen’s head snapped up as he heard Laphicet’s laughter coming from below. Velvet’s grin only grew as they shared a joke, and even if malakhim were not supposed to be able to generate negative feelings - he felt it. A bare twinge inside him, one that humans called envy.

Yes, he was jealous of Laphicet. Even if Velvet now considered all of them comrades and treated them better, Laphicet held a special place in her heart. They were inseparable, like two best friends.

Which made him feel hurt when Velvet, while in the earthpulse, was played like a fool by Innominat who wore her brother’s face. How could she not have seen that she was just a kind young woman who was wronged by those closest to her? That even with her demonic facade, deep down inside, she was still that same young woman?

“Tell this idiot what she needs to hear!” he had shouted as he held onto both Velvet and Laphicet as Innominat’s vortex threatened to pull them in. He had hoped that Laphicet - the one who was most affected by her kindness - would be able to tell her what he could not. And he did; better than Eizen would have ever expected, and brought Velvet back from the brink of despair.

He wanted to hold her in his arms then, but he couldn’t. So he let Laphicet wrap his tiny arms around her waist as tears fell from her eyes. He was glad that Laphicet broke free from the Abbey’s control and learned to become his own self. The boy learned Eizen’s life mantra well. A little too well, perhaps.

He wished he really could live up to his teaching. Maybe then he’d be able to talk to her as Laphicet did; without restraint. Maybe then he’d be able to tell her…

No. She was the Lord of Calamity. She would taint him, and he would become a dragon. Then he’d never be able to return to Edna.

Until then, he would just deny himself those desires and hope his vessel wouldn't break. He would never be able to feel her silky locks in between his bare fingers. He would never be able to look into her eyes and see his own reflection staring back at him. He would never be able to kiss her soft, supple lips…

“Hey.”

Rokurou’s voice startled him from his reverie, and he turned to see the swordsman with a new blade on his back and a grin on his face. “I know you malaks don’t feel the cold, but c’mon, it’s freezing out here.”

“Then it’s a good thing we got these jackets.”

“Jackets schmackets. Oh, it’s Velvet and the kiddo - what are they doing down there?” he mumbled, before standing next to Eizen. “Hey! Velvet! Laphicet! C’mon up, dinner’s ready!”

Velvet and Laphicet turned around simultaneously, and for a brief moment, Eizen felt Velvet’s gaze upon him. But it was gone as soon as it came, as she waved back at Rokurou and followed Laphicet up the stairs.

Eizen reached for Edna’s letter in his jacket. He considered burning it - so nobody would ever know - but withdrew his hand and stood up. Velvet and Laphicet approached them, both their cheeks pink from the cold.

“What are we having?” asked Laphicet.

“It’s a mystery stew. Magilou wouldn’t tell me what’s in it,” said Rokurou, shrugging.

“Mystery stew, huh? I hope it’s edible…”

Velvet looked up at Eizen and he felt a shiver down his spine. Her eyes were warm, even at the brink of the Scarlet Night. Even when they knew danger was rushing towards them, and they could all very well die soon.

“You coming?” she asked, her cheeks still pink from the biting cold, with the barest trace of a smile on her lips.

Was it part of his Reaper’s Curse too, then? That even his feelings of love were cursed to die?

“Yeah.”

He followed a few steps behind her, but his heart and mind were already made up. He would bury this secret underneath the Meirchio snow, forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I wrote this on a whim when I got to this part of the game, and I love Edna so much. I figured she would be able to figure out Eizen's feelings long before he could. I have another Eizen/Velvet AU fic in the works, so stay tuned for that!


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